Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-04-04
SACheR-MASOCH, TIE NOVELIST.
suicide Ming of bavaria.

Whatever may be the nationality of q
writer, If he Possesses style. imagination
originality. the French fete him. decorate
his EuttOEhule, and indeed make him the
fashion III Paris English. Americans
ltal snS and Russians have been thus re
ceiSed by the French nation, ard to-day
/ native nOVclistS are almost forgotten fOi
| Tulstoi and DuStolcwski. | AM forcibiy
impressed 10y the hospitality of the French
| nation toward foreigners because of the
! warm reception given SaChor- -NaSOCh. the
! Austrian Eovrli>t--a reception that aston,
isheS the author himself perhaps more
| than any one else. One day, at Mine.
! Adams. no said to me.
| alexander Dumas spent two hours at
| my house yesterday. WHY did hc, can
not understand what have ever done tu
| merit his attention"
Sacher Masoch gave me the pleasure of
visit one afternoon, and although he
speaks eight languages. English is not in
the list our conversation was therefore
in French
In speaking of his novels | mentioned
one in which u Polish count takes great
interest in "A youth lie COnSecrH,es him
self 10 the education Of this huy. and
makes him the coniidant of his joys and
sorrows. When the youth is strong
enough to discuss abstruse subjects with
his protector the count discovers that his
prOfeGe is a woman. The idea that n ma.
teriai question may alter he philoSophi
cal nature of their relations causes the
grand seigneur to take refuge in flight
ana here the romance ends
Would you like story stranger thar
the novel ITSELF said Sgchcr Masoch TO
me. ''Some time after il appeared | re
ceived an anonymous letter in which the
writer proposed "A spiritual friendship, like
that OF the Polish count. and added that
there would be no danger OF similar
rupture, as he was a man liz every line
was a sentimental appeal to nv pity
The final phrase ended III this way: To
win back Ia life a soul that only meditates
suicide. Naturally thought the letter
was written by a womar., and the second
epistle only confirmed lay theory. for this
one appointed a rendeZ fous in little vii
lage, with the condition that during the
interview my eyes should be handaged l
went; hlindfOlded myself One moment
after rich, masculine voice said Thank
you-' WAS disappointed, i confess. but
l listened To this mcl1diouS voice. which
made me the most iiaIterinc proposals of
friendship. One year these interviews
took place from time to time, and when
anything prevented me from keeping an
appointment, according TO my instruc-
tons, sent letters To London, Vienna,
Paris, etc. Ny answers were always on
paper stamped with a ducal coronet and
signed Anatole. One day Anatole said &c
me:
- i authorize you TO regard me-
Quickly l raised my ba0dage and saw
the handsonest man ever beheld He 4
held out his hand TO me and said:
IF thou lowest me little. if thou hast
understood that thy destiny is TO save me. |
to cure me, and thy ro!e to snatch me .
from despair, leave thy home. Let mine |
be thine. and thou shalt be great, rich |
and powerful
Il was stupefed. but, remembering my
wife and child, declined Anatole's offer /
Some days Later / studied the photographs |
IN Niennese shop window: among them
1 saw that of Anatole, and underneath .
was written: IS. NJ. Louis IL. Roi de
Baviere.' Who knows but the unfortu.
nate king might be living to-day had
responded to his earnest entreatyy'-Paris
Cor. Chicago Times.